Skip to content

What's Up Docs?

BBC Radio 4
What's Up Docs?
Latest episode

165 episodes

  • What's Up Docs?

    Doctors' Notes: Hydration

    04/08/2026 | 22 mins.
    Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken continue their conversation about hydration with Dr John Whittle, a consultant in anaesthesia, critical care and perioperative medicine at University College Hospitals and an honorary associate professor at University College London.
    Most of the time our bodies are brilliant at regulating fluid but what happens when that process gets disrupted by illness, stress or ageing? And crucially, what can we do about it?
    If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, you email us at whatsupdocs@bbc.co.uk.
    Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken
    Producer and researcher: Dr Samara Linton
    Executive Producers: Rami Tzabar
    Editor: Jo Rowntree
    Visual Producer: Leon Gower
    Technical Lead: Reuben Huxtable
    Digital Lead: Richard Berry
    Composer: Phoebe McFarlane
    Sound Design: Melvin Rickarby
    At the BBC:
    Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith
    Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
    A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.
  • What's Up Docs?

    How hydrated should you really be?

    04/08/2026 | 28 mins.
    Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing.
    In this episode they’re exploring hydration. We’ve all heard we should be drinking eight glasses of water a day, but does it hold up? Chris and Xand look at what water actually does in the body and how we regulate fluid.
    They also separate fact from fiction on the hydration beliefs and trends that are everywhere right now. Does drinking more water actually help you lose weight? What about the online trend of loading water with supplements and flavourings to maximise its benefits? Should we all be adding electrolytes to our water?
    To help answer these questions, they’re joined by Dr John Whittle. He’s a consultant in anaesthesia, critical care and perioperative medicine at University College Hospitals and an honorary associate professor at University College London.
    If you want to get in touch, you can email us at whatsupdocs@bbc.co.uk.

    Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken
    Producer and researcher: Dr Samara Linton
    Executive Producers: Rami Tzabar
    Editor: Jo Rowntree
    Visual Producer: Leon Gower
    Technical Lead: Reuben Huxtable
    Digital Lead: Richard Berry
    Composer: Phoebe McFarlane
    Sound Design: Melvin Rickarby
    At the BBC:
    Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith
    Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
    A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
  • What's Up Docs?

    Doctors' Notes: Bad Advice

    28/07/2026 | 27 mins.
    Chris and Xand van Tulleken continue their conversation with Professor Sunita Sah about why humans follow advice they suspect, or even know, is bad.
    They explore what first drew Sunita to this area of research, alongside her own experiences of following advice she knew she should probably question. Together, they unpack the psychology behind why rejecting advice can feel so uncomfortable, and why intelligence or expertise doesn’t necessarily protect people from poor decisions.
    If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, please email us at whatsupdocs@bbc.co.uk.
    Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken
    Guest: Professor Sunita Sah
    Producer: Maia Miller-Lewis
    Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar
    Editor: Jo Rowntree
    Researcher: Grace Revill
    Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable
    Social Media: Leon Gower
    Visual Producer: Richard Berry
    Composer: Phoebe McFarlane
    Sound Design: Ruth Rainey
    At the BBC:
    Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith
    Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
    A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.
  • What's Up Docs?

    Why do we follow bad advice?

    28/07/2026 | 29 mins.
    Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing.
    In this episode, they discuss a behaviour almost everyone recognises - following advice we suspect is bad, or even know is wrong. So why do we do it?
    From medicine and wellness culture to friendships and everyday life, Chris and Xand unpack the psychology behind why bad advice can be so hard to resist. They consider how authority, confidence and social pressure shape our decisions, and why warning signs don’t always protect us from making choices we later regret. They also ask why questioning experts can feel so difficult, even when our wellbeing depends on it.
    Along the way, they discuss how people can become more confident questioning advice, seeking second opinions, and making decisions that genuinely align with their own judgement and wellbeing.
    To help them untangle it all, they’re joined by Professor Sunita Sah, Organisational psychologist at Cornell University.
    If you want to get in touch, you can email us at whatsupdocs@bbc.co.uk.
    Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken
    Guest: Professor Sunita Sah
    Producer: Maia Miller-Lewis
    Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar
    Editor: Jo Rowntree
    Researcher: Grace Revill
    Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable
    Social Media: Leon Gower
    Digital Lead: Richard Berry
    Composer: Phoebe McFarlane
    Sound Design: Ruth Rainey
    At the BBC:
    Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith
    Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
    A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
  • What's Up Docs?

    Doctors' Notes: Eyes

    21/07/2026 | 20 mins.
    Chris and Xand continue their conversation about eyes with Mr Raj Das-Bhaumik.
    The doctors want to know what particular things we should be doing to look after our eyes in the summer, including how to protect them while swimming or spending time outdoors. They're also curious about dry eye, a common condition that could affect over half of the UK population, and how to manage it, as well as other eye conditions like glaucoma and cataracts and how they are particularly affected in the summer months.
    If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, you email us at whatsupdocs@bbc.co.uk.
    Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken
    Guest: Mr Raj Das-Bhaumik
    Producer: Dr Samara Linton
    Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar
    Researcher: Mili Ostojic
    Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable
    Visual Producer: Leon Gower
    Digital Lead: Richard Berry
    Composer: Phoebe McFarlane
    Sound Design: Olga Reed
    At the BBC:
    Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith
    Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
    A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.
More Health & Wellness podcasts
About What's Up Docs?
In this BBC Radio 4 podcast, Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken are on a mission to help us take better care of ourselves.Although they are identical twins, Chris and Xand are very different and they never stop thinking and arguing about science and health. They want to lead healthy, happy lives and as doctors, they want this for everyone. Yet they tussle over how best to get there.When it comes to looking after our own health, it can be confusing. Medicine and science produce amazing new treatments and diagnostics every day and we are bombarded with so many headlines and pieces of advice; but how are we supposed to know what's really best for us and then successfully apply it to our lives?Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken embrace this challenge; even as they marvel at the scientific breakthroughs, they grapple with the competing claims about health, wellbeing and how to live.From understanding testosterone therapies to microplastics in our diets, and the concept of 'hangriness' to the power of saying no - this podcast deals with the health stresses we all face every day, while taking on board how the decisions by corporations and governments affect all our health.Each episode, Chris and Xand are joined by an expert guest to examine the latest research, psychological insights, and data, to help listeners navigate the overwhelming amount of information and advice out there. They talk about the trials and tribulations in their own lives in their characteristically witty way - each teasing the other as they search for solutions. Xand has trouble sleeping , Chris has noisy knees, one of them has got an embarrassing itch. They have different ways of looking at things and find it really helpful to get the other one's point of view. These doctors are trying their best and encouraging listeners to do the same.Email: whatsupdocs@bbc.co.uk Whatsapp: 08000 665123A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.
Podcast website

Listen to What's Up Docs?, The High Performance Podcast and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app

Get the free radio.net app

  • Stations and podcasts to bookmark
  • Stream via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
  • Supports Carplay & Android Auto
  • Many other app features
What's Up Docs?: Podcasts in Family